Pro-Islamic bias? Brevard School Board to discuss textbook

You know, folks are always ranting about how we’re in danger of losing our freedom(s) today in the Untied States, but frankly this type of stuff concerns me more then all the “loss” of freedom these ranters imagine they see.

Florida: One Brevard School Board member believes a textbook used in many ninth-grade classrooms has a pro-Islamic bias, but the board chair said the book was properly vetted before Brevard Schools adopted it. A third board member wants more information. On Tuesday, the school board will hear a presentation from district staff and discuss the Prentice Hall World History textbook, which a state lawmaker and two citizens groups expressed concern about at the last school board meeting, prompting some board members to conduct their own review of the book.

House Rep. Ritch Workman said the textbook slants history by focusing a chapter on Muslim civilization, while Christianity and Judaism are mentioned throughout the book but neither has its own chapter, among other concerns.

What remains unclear is whether there’s enough support on the school board to make changes.

On Friday, School Board member Andy Ziegler said he believes action is needed. “I believe the chapter needs to be scrutinized and possibly replaced with something more accurate and more balanced,” he said.

The issue gained national attention after FLORIDA TODAY’s story was discussed by “Fox & Friends” and “The Sean Hannity Show.” “I’ve never seen a reaction like this,” said Boca Raton resident William Saxton, chairman of the Citizens for National Security. Saxton spoke at the last school board meeting, joining Workman and individuals from the Space Coast chapter of ACT! for America in expressing concerns.

“Everyone is looking for Brevard to step up and take some kind of action on this,” Saxton said. “It has national implementations. I think it’s enormous. It’s all over the country. I think that’s good, actually.”

While the book is used in many ninth-grade classrooms, teachers point out that it’s only one resource. The role of Christianity and Judaism is also taught, but more focus is given to those religions during sixth-grade world history. (source and more)

I’m old enough to be concerned not for my children or even grandchildren, for they are adults, but for my great-grandchildren. What kind of edited-skewed history books ARE they going to be taught from in school…ones that claim there never was a Muslim civilization? Things appear to be headed in that direction.

If you’d like to see something which should shock the socks off of you, take a look at this exam (common in its day) given to 8th graders in KY in the year 1912. I don’t think my grandchildren (High School graduates) would pass it! No kidding…

Wow, I don’t even need to look at the textbook to see how foolish these people are. Considering that this textbook, and most in the US, are written from a Euro-centric standpoint (which is not necessarily a bad thing, just a fact), how could they NOT include a chapter dedicated to the Golden Age of the Caliphate?

The Muslim Arabs, after the initial conquest, reignited an interest in the Hellenic past and gave patronage to many Greek and Syrian scholars. That civilization produced Avicenna and Averroes, the Latter was referred to as “The Commentator” by Thomas Aquinas in light of his study of Aristotle.

The most ignorant thing is that those complaining are probably lumping “Muslim civilization” all together including everything from Arabs to Berbers to Turks. All of which were radically different (it would be like comparing medieval England to Italy). Very sad.

Can you imaging leaving out or minimizing one entire civilization: the good and bad which came from it’s existence, based on any reason? What next, the German Empire? What this really boils down too is the desire to omit what we don’t like in history while emphasizing what we do…its called brainwashing young minds and propaganda.

We have areas of the world which do this…but i never thought i’d live to see the possibility of it happening here in America. David Barton, who is the supreme history-twister, must be ecstatic.

I recall David Barton once saying that Hindus contributed nothing to civilization. In fact they contributed the concept of the number 0 which mathematical concept traveled westward from India to what was then an Islamic civilization. It was later introduced to a benighted Europe.

We also got our numbering system, without which there would be no advanced mathematics, from those civilizations.

Where was Europe during that time frame? It was in social and scientific darkness.

I had a history professor who made the observation that history books written by non-Americans tended to be more objective on U.S. history, without trying to push an imbalanced view one way or the other. The book he had us purchase for the class (for less than 20 dollars, a lot better than the usual 200 dollars) was from a British author. I still have it on my shelf, but can’t remember the name of the author just now. I learned many things in that book I had not learned before, and the book certainly wasn’t trying to push, say, a socialist anti-American world view OR an insipid and censored patriotic world view where we can do no wrong. I learned things about the origins of the cold war, for example, that I had no idea about before.

That said, a child ought to be taught at a young age how to be an independent thinker, and they should be encouraged to read a wide array of books so that they are able to discern the difference between the good and the bad. Not every textbook is actually worth the cost of the ink to print it, and many of them have silly things or omissions that oversimplify an issue or push a false idea.

That old professor of mine managed to teach me more in a single semester than I had learned in any class like it going back years, and this he did with an inexpensive but high quality book, and with personal essays and essays from his previous professor, offered freely to us, but containing more information and usefulness than anything put together by a committee.

One thing I inherited from my grandmother was her high school graduation book given to every student graduating. It is a rectangular book with blank pages. The idea is for each student to pass their book around so students and teachers can write something to you congratulating you for making it through the year. Nearly 70% of what was written was a verse of scripture and all of it was clearly Christ centered well wishes! The high school was in Colorado Springs in the 1890’s.

I have originals of third and fifth grade reading books, McGuffy readers and nearly every story or lesson comes with a Bible verse or topic.

These were public schools where this sort of thing was done or taught.

We may not have been a Christian nation in the nineteenth century in the United States but public curriculums had a Christian bias. That we have muted this bias is a clear record of history now being all inclusive and politically controlled by an anti-Christian bias.

That said in my church our members have banded together and formed our own school and teach biblical studies along with mainline topics all by Christian teachers. It has worked out ok for those who attend our church school and students when tested score high with SAT.

There’s a lot of parental sacrificing to see that our children are raised up and taught from this strong biblical bias!

The link included in the OP to the exam given to 8th grade KY students in 1912 reminded me of a little book i own which my father used in the one room school house he attended in SE Ky in the 1920’s. I found it among his things after he passed away and was astounded at the information which was required learning!

Have any of you ever watched those TV segments in which the “man on the street” stops people, many of them young adults, and asks them questions which any 6th grade school student should know concerning our country or nations around the world?

Its embarrassing to hear 9 out of 10 of these folks stumble around for answers to the simplest questions, or on the occasion they DO answer, their answers are ridiculous.

Like, “on what continent is Brazil located?” Or, ( i actually heard this one) “on what continent is California located?” So help me, a few actually said “i don’t know”.

Michael, Christian schools can be a good alternative to public schools…but we have to realize (and accept) that not all parents are Christians so we cannot expect them (non christians) to want to send their children to Christian schools. You probably know my stand by now on separation of church and state…as a Christian, im all for it for a number of reasons.

Public (tax payer funded) schools should be places of learning…for all. We should expect our children to receive the best education possible, and be taught by good teachers that have no other agenda then to pass on the knowledge they have acquired in their field: if it be history, mathematics, science, etc. What we shouldn’t have to fear is that our young people are being limited in their studies and learning to only receiving “partial information”, because some hot-shot or bigot on the board of education of some city or state decided some information or history isn’t worth teaching because they say so.

The changes in the public school reflect the changes in our society. Many years ago when almost every American subscribed to some form of Christian worldview, whether they actually practiced it or not, the resulting worldview taught in the public schools was not subject to contention. In our day and time all that has changed, but a lot of people are still living back in colonial times and they just don’t seem to get it. And in fact, with all of the surrounding contention in the world, every religious adherent out there, to some degree, wants do define the religious orientation of our public schools. And, of course, none are more strident than politically conservative Christians.

Personally, I agree with a lot of Michael’s sentiments. I believe ANY Christian who wants their child(ren) to receive a “Christian” education should provide one for them by sending them to a Christian school OR homeschooling them. But, I can say from experience, those approaches are not without their own trials and tribulations.

But when it comes to public schools, the problem is without a solution since every religious interest group wants to run the show when it comes to religious issues. It has just become a microcosm for society as a whole. Among Christians, sadly, it is no longer about WINNING the world to Christ, it is more about CONTROLLING the world “for” Christ. The issue in Florida fits neatly into the “Seven Mountains” agenda. None of there things are happening in isolation. There is a “plan” behind it all.

Personally, I agree with a lot of Michael’s sentiments. I believe ANY Christian who wants their child(ren) to receive a “Christian” education should provide one for them by sending them to a Christian school OR homeschooling them.

Yes, i agree with much of what Michael said too. I actually looked into sending my children to a Christian school back in the early 80’s..and would have been overjoyed to have been able to do so but quickly found out, on my salary, it wasn’t possible. As a single parent working over 46 hrs a week, sadly home-schooling was out of the question as well. But you know, as i grew older and looked back, i saw there was some good which came from not being able to send them to a Christian school–that was, i didn’t have to be concerned with (or monitor) what kind of “Christian” instruction they would have been receiving. I saw, in my case, Spiritual instruction was best taught and learned in the home and within my Church by teachers i personally knew and trusted, for then i could be relatively sure my children were being taught correctly, doctrinally.

But when it comes to public schools, the problem is without a solution since every religious interest group wants to run the show when it comes to religious issues. It has just become a microcosm for society as a whole. Among Christians, sadly, it is no longer about WINNING the world to Christ, it is more about CONTROLLING the world “for” Christ. The issue in Florida fits neatly into the “Seven Mountains” agenda. None of there things are happening in isolation. There is a “plan” behind it all.

Amen. This is one important reason im a strong believer in the separation of church and state. For if one religion is permitted to be taught in public schools, even if it is what we, as Christians, know is the only hope for all mankind, then the door is “legally” opened for other religions to demand and receive the same rights.

And George, i totally agree…it is no longer about winning the world to Christ. Frankly, in most instances i’ve observed in which people advocate for Christianity being taught in public schools, it isn’t because of any desire to see souls saved, it is about personal control, advocated by the much repeated lie of the United States being (or having been) a Christian Nation. These folks have bought into a delusion…one which tells them that to “make” America a Christian nation all they need to do is force Christianity (and not just any Christianity, but “their type” of Christianity) down every American’s throat…beginning in our public schools. God forbid they’d ever get out and beat the pavement in order to take the Gospel to the lost! They’d never even think of it! Which sadly has led me to the conclusion that most of these “Christian” advocates don’t personally know Christ themselves.

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